The present invention is directed to generating passive metadata from user interface (UI) selections at an imaging device.
Imaging devices are typically thought of as being capable of imaging a paper document to capture an electronic image file (e.g. an electronic document or a scanned image file) and then transmitting the image file to a destination (e.g. another imaging device, a facsimile machine, a printer, a copier, a computer, document management software, workflow software, security software, a facsimile server (fax server), email server, or any type of server). An imaging device, however, may be, for example, an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral/Printer/Product), a facsimile machine, a scanner, or any imaging device known or yet to be discovered capable of capturing (as opposed to creating, such as would be done by a computer) an image file and transmitting it to a destination.
Metadata is typically thought of as information (data) about data. Metadata can be collected at the front panel or other user interface (UI) of an imaging device and transmitted along with the scanned image file to a destination. For example, metadata may be extra data that describes the contents of an image file to be used for archiving and retrieval. This metadata may be entered by a user at an MFP front panel and then transmitted along with the scanned image file to a destination. The destination then parses through the metadata file and stores the metadata values along with the image file. Later the user may search for metadata keywords to retrieve the image. In another example, metadata may be extra data appended to a print job that describes the print job characteristics. This metadata may be formatted into a metadata file and sent with the print job to the destination device. The destination device then parses through the metadata file to understand how the image file should be processed.
Metadata may be gathered from user input at the imaging device user interface. One type of user interface is a front panel that includes a screen that may be configurable by an administrator. The administrator may configure custom metadata prompts that appear on simple screens (e.g. a keyboard or a short list of values from which a user may select “user data”). For example, an administrator may create a user data field that prompts the user to input a facsimile number for each intended recipient. The user would be required to enter all the facsimile numbers on a cumbersome keyboard. A limitation of the prior art is that the administrator would have to anticipate and create a data field for each intended destination. Except in the most unusual circumstances, the quantity of pre-created data fields would not match the needs of most users. If, for example, there are five (5) prompts for facsimile numbers, users who want to scan to a single facsimile destination will have to scroll down through four (4) extra user interface prompts. Users who want to scan to twenty (20) facsimile destinations would have to send the facsimile as four (4) separate scan jobs with five (5) facsimile numbers for each scan job. With prior art, the basic process of sending a facsimile to multiple destinations is as follows:                1. From an imaging device, the user selects a facsimile server destination button that triggers user data prompts.        2. The user enters user data as prompted (facsimile number, user ID, billing code, subject, or sender name) from a keyboard user interface.        3. The user places a document in imaging device and presses start.        4. The imaging device captures an image file from the document and a metadata file from the user data and associates the two files.        5. The imaging device transmits the associated image file and user metadata file to a server.        6. The server parses the user metadata file and transmits the image file as specified by the user.        
“User data” is metadata such as routing information (e.g. facsimile number, email address, or server address), user information (e.g. user ID, sender name), billing information (e.g. a billing code) and/or any basic collectible information. As an example of metadata being gathered from user input at the imaging device user interface, metadata prompts on the user interface may direct a user to select a specific destination (routing information) for his document and/or to enter other user data. This approach is very flexible because users can be prompted for any information needed by an application. However, this flexibility also limits the functionality that can be attained with this method. Metadata screens are inherently “dumb” for three reasons. First, there are a limited number of metadata fields that an administrator can configure. Second, the user will always be prompted for all metadata fields regardless of what he enters for a previous field. Third, data entry is limited to a keyboard and in some cases a short list of pre-defined values.
“Active data” is distinct from user data. Active data reflects the selections that users make at an imaging device that change the device scanning settings—the way the imaging device either captures or sends the image file. Examples include routing information (e.g. facsimile number, email addresses, or server address) and file formatting instructions/settings (e.g. data format, compression ratio, color options, exposure, resolution, encryption, security settings, or permissions). Because active data is intended for a specific purpose, a very specialized user interface is provided for the user to make selections. For example, when setting routing information, users have the ability to enter addresses, select from one-touch address keys, and/or perform real-time searches of the global address book on a server.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20030081234 to Wiley (the “Wiley reference”) is directed to a document delivery method and multifunction device therefor. Wiley discloses a device capable of identifying different types of network destinations (e.g. email, facsimile, or printer) to receive a document, formatting the document for each of the different types of network destinations, and sending the formatted document from the multifunction device to each of the different types of network destinations. The formatted document may be an electronic document that combines the image of the paper document with a header (which may include at least delivery or routing information). In one embodiment of the Wiley device, a document property function is provided so that the user may configure at least one document property (e.g. color, black/white, draft, compression ratio, password protection, file type) for the formatted document (the document in electronic format). In other words, prior to being sent to the destination device, the document is formatted with any selected document property. Wiley further discloses interfaces by which the user can specify the type of destination, but the selection is limited to “active data” in that it directly changes the settings of the imaging device. Finally, Wiley discloses that the document is imaged only once for delivery to each of the different types of network destinations.
A facsimile server may be, for example, a computer-based facsimile machine that is generally a “shared use” device installed on a network (e.g. a LAN) or a program (e.g. a software application program) that is associated with hardware suitable to implement similar functions. Network users can access the facsimile server from their PCs in much the same way they share a network-based (shared) printer. Facsimiles can be generated at a user's workstation and “printed” to the facsimile server for transmission. Likewise, a facsimile server can route incoming facsimiles. Facsimile servers eliminate the necessity of printing a document, carrying the document to a facsimile machine, and waiting for the document to be transmitted. Many large companies use facsimile servers in place of facsimile machines to manage their incoming and outgoing facsimiles. Facsimile servers allow a company to monitor the facsimiles that are flowing in and out of the company. Facsimile servers also allow a company to track costs that can be billed to the appropriate department or client. Facsimile servers offer the benefit of advanced facsimile features like secure password-protected documents and automatic cover sheet creation (e.g. based on user ID). Exemplary facsimile servers include Captaris, Inc.'s RIGHTFAX®, Biscom, Incorporated's FAXCOM®, and Castelle Corporation's FAXPRESS®.
Facsimile servers do not have the capability to scan paper documents such that the resulting scanned document may be transmitted to facsimile destinations via the facsimile server. Traditionally, for a paper document to be transmitted using a facsimile server, the paper document must first be scanned, then the resulting scanned document is sent to the facsimile server where information (e.g. a user ID, a billing code, and a destination number) is collected as user data, and the document is then transmitted to facsimile destinations via the facsimile server. This is a slow and cumbersome process.